Review of Hard Journey of the Heart: Jesse's Story

[Sreya sasikumar]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Hard Journey of the Heart: Jesse's Story" by Mark Zullo.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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The novel is a non-linear account of Jesse's life, stretching from his boyhood in the 1980s to his adulthood in the early 2000s. Jesse is LGBTQ, and at first he struggled to convey it to people, particularly his best buddy. He was a powerful, soft-hearted, kind, singer, and understanding person. All he wanted was to be loved and respected by everyone. Jesse experiences a variety of challenges in his life. He is bullied, loses someone he cares about, and is injured by others, yet he decides to fight even though he doesn't know what to do.Such interactions include both emotional depth and explicit sexual content, representing the LGBTQ+ community's actual experiences. Although the various explicit scenes may be disturbing, they emphasize Jesse's intense experiences and the search for eternal joy.

This book is engaging and feels true to life. This novel has given me chills and butterflies in my tummy. I didn't anticipate this book to be so amazing and inspiring.The work of literature is well-edited, with no defects, which adds to its overall readability. However, the powerful and explicit content, combined with the non-linear format, could prove challenging to many individuals.

The only drawback I have with this book is that it is written in Spanish, and some scenes were not translated. However, not all of them are translated.

I give this book a 4 out of 5. The ending of the narrative was so amazing that I would read it again and again. The book is fantastic, and I liked how the author conveyed the message to the audience. This book is intended for mature adults who enjoy character-driven storytelling and LGBTQ+ storylines with a raw and honest depiction of life's highs and lows.

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Hard Journey of the Heart: Jesse's Story
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